Young Mikey Quinn, scavenging on the streets of Hull, is thrown into
prison for stealing a rabbit from the butcher. His chief accuser, a
well-to-do lawyer, has a daughter, Eleanor, whom he badly mistreats.
When Mikey is released he finds that his mother has died and his
brothers taken into the workhouse - determined to find a better life for
his family, he walks all the way to London to seek his fortune. There he
finds that the grim realities of city life are even worse than they were
in Hull, and comes under the evil patronage of the sinister Tully, first
encountered when he was in prison. But he also meets Eleanor again, and
between them they face the dangers of London and gradually make a new
life for themselves. Together they have to face journeying back to
Hull - the long walk home.